Automatic elevator-gate



(No Model.)

R. LADE.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR GATE.

Patented Feb. 17, 1885.

UlitnessEs- Invenmr.

Uiren mares ROBERT LADE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,276, dated February17, 1885.

Application filed December 24, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LADE, a citi zen of Great Britain, residingat Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Elevator-Gates,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in gates operated automatically toguard the entrance to elevators and prevent accidents from fallingthrough open elevator-wells; and the objects of my improvements are toprovide a gate for this purpose which is simple, positive, and durable,and can be readily applied to any form of elevator under all conditionsof position or surroundings. I attain these objeots by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the entire gate-operating mechanism unaoted upon by theelevator; Fig; 2, a front view of same with parts in the same positionas in Fig. 1 and showing the gate closed; Fig. 3, a side elevavation ofgate with elevator acting upon it; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the gatewith the parts as in Fig. 3 and showing the gate open, and Fig. 5 sideand front views of bearing for outboard end of gate-bar.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The plate A has two posts, B and G, on the top of which are pivoted thearms D and E. The other ends of said arms are fitted with the rollers Fand G. The latch H is pivoted to the plate A by the pin I. Said latch isconnected with the arm D by the bar K, and with the arm E by the barL,all points of attachment of the connecting -bars allowing the pieces toturn freely. The end of the latch I-I projects through the bridge M andbears upon the inner end of, the gate-lever N. This gatelever N ispivoted to the bridge M at O, and its outer end is prolonged to anydesired extent by the gate-bar P, formed of piping or other suitablematerial.

The mechanism described is attached to a post or other suitable supportat one side of the opening to be guarded. The bar P, when in theposition indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,

(N0 model.)

crosses this opening, and the end of the bar P rests in the bearing Q.The bearing Q (shown in detail in Fig. 5) is attached to a suitablesupport on the opposite side of the opening from that occupied by theplate A.

The guides R and S, projecting from the plate A, are for the purpose ofsupporting the outer ends of the bars D and E.

The action of the elevator upon the gate is shown in Fig. 3.

T is the elevator floor or platform. U is a vertical rod or post forminga part of the elevator and moving with the platform, and V thegate-block attached to the post U for the purpose of operating the gatemechanism.

The operation of the gate described is as follows: First, taking theparts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the elevator is away andthe gate is closed. Suppose that the elevator is below and is rising. Asit rises the block V approaches the roller G, and, striking it, raisesthe arm E as the elevator continues its upward course. When the arm E israised, it pushes up the connecting-bar L, turns the latch H about itspivot I, throws down the point of the latch, and by means of the bar Kdraws down the arm D. As the point of the latch H descends it carriesbefore it the inner end of the gate-lever N, and thus raises thegate-bar P, so that by properly loeating the gate-block V the gate isopened at the proper time when the elevator reaches its floor. The faceof the block V is located at the proper distance from the rolls, and theother parts properly proportioned, so that when the gate-bar is raisedto a nearly verti cal position the motion of the arms ceases and theparts stand as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In closing the gate, suppose the parts to be in position shown in Fig.3, and the elevator to be ascending. As the gate-bar P was left in aslightly-inclined position, its weight is acting through the fulcrum Oand inner end of the lever N to raise the point of the latch H, andthus, by means of the connecting-bars K and L, there is a pressure ofthe rollers F and G upon the gate-block V. WVhen the end of the block Vpasses the roller F, the arm D is released, the parts return to theposition shown in Fig. 1, and the gate is closed. By varying theposition and length of the block V it is obvious that the gate may beopened and closed during any desired positions of the elevator. V

In the action described the movement of the elevator was supposed to beupward; but if downward the operation is the same, for if the block Vstarts from above the gate of Fig. lit depresses the arm D, throws downthe point of the latch as before, and opens the gate. The slot in thebridge M, through which the latch H passes, is made of proper length toserve as a stop for the latch and leave the parts in the right position.The object of the rolls F and G is to reduce friction, and also toinsure the movement of the arms D and E in the proper direction. Forinstance, with gate mechanism and block as in Fig. 3, and the elevatordescending, when V strikes the roll G the tendency is to swing the arm Eup and in; but without the roller G there might be sufficient frictionto carry the arm down and out, causing failure in operation and damageof the mechanism.

My invention may be readily attached to any elevator, because theposition of the plate A and block V can be varied and length of gatebarP adjusted to meet all requirements.

By using. the weight of the gate-bar as a moving power, making directconnections throughout, and dispensing with the use of 0 springs andother complications, my invention is rendered simple, positive, anddurable, all of which were the objects sought.

The gates for upper and lower floors may be further simplified bydispensing, respect- 5 ively, with the arms F and G and their connectingbars.

I am aware that prior to my invention automatic elevator-gates have beenmade. I therefore do not claim, broadly, the moving of a 40 gate by anelevator; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

The combination, in an elevator-gate, of the block V, rollsF and G, armsD and E, con- 5 meeting-bars K and L, latch H, gatelever N, bridge M,bar 1?, and bearing Q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ROBERT LADE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT J. LADE, II. K. HAwEs.

